The Philosophy program offers a full range of courses designed to provide students with the intellectual tools and scholarly background necessary for deep, critical understanding of human experience. The major philosophers and intellectual traditions, Western and non-Western, are analyzed in order to show how philosophy relates directly to problems which thoughtful men and women face in the world today. We offer an undergraduate major and minor in Philosophy as well as a minor in Ethics. Our Ethics minor is an excellent complement to any major, enabling students to develop a strong sense of moral responsibility and critical skills for moral reflection.

The Religious Studies program enables interested students to examine objectively, from philosophical, historical and text critical viewpoints, the great world religions. Departmental faculty are committed to a comparative approach in the study and teaching of religious studies, with specializations in Western (particularly Judaism) and Eastern (particularly Chinese Buddhism and Daoism) traditions. Coursework, speakers series and study abroad opportunities reflect these interests. The department offers a Religious Studies specialization, the equivalent of an undergraduate major, and a minor in Religious Studies.